barrett: 13 years old!

 

Barrett is officially a teenager!  We celebrated his birthday on his actual birthday (family gifts, because it was also Britton's softball banquet night), then out to dinner at Gringo's the next night, then a party at Activate with his friends.  Whew, 3 days of celebrating!  We got Barrett many new shirts and also the Lego Pan Am airplane - his number one wish.  Memaw and PawPaw got him some plane models and shirts, and Aunt Jessica got him a gift card so he can treat himself to something fun!

Barrett loves all things airplanes, so much so that he's mentioned that he wants to work for the NTSB (National Transportation Safety Board) when he grows up, and investigate plane crashes.  Legos/building things comes in a close second, and Lego airplanes are definitely a favorite.  He loves his 1:400 plane models because he wants to construct a miniature airport - I just need to figure out where he can put it!

Likes:  Sea Camp (coming up the first week of summer)

Dislikes:  waiting for school to be over - finals are next week and he's ready to be finished with 7th grade

201 months old

We are getting into the last month of Britton's junior year! I can't believe how quickly this school year as flown by.  It feels like we were just getting back from Christmas vacation, then Spring Break, and now she's juggling AP exams and grad parties.  It's a hard milestone for me, knowing that soon enough Britton will be starting her senior year of high school.  Cue the crying because I will be a perimenopausal mess!  Britton is set to have 6 AP classes next year, with a "fun" class of ceramics thrown in for a creative outlet.  Her school cancelled AP French, so no language class next year, unfortunately.

Britton's softball banquet is this week (on Barrett's birthday!) and sadly, it will be her last as a player.  Under the new coach, the coaching staff is focused on rebuilding, and seniors don't really factor into that team.  As a senior, she'd be guaranteed a varsity spot, but she'd probably see little field time.  She plays first base, and the new coach prefers first base players that also play pitcher.  Britton was offered, and accepted, the team manager position for next year!  She still wants to be a part of the team, and in this way, she's not constantly disappointed with her position on the team.

Likes:  sneaking in a nap on the couch, her Dunkin Donuts iced caramel cappucinos

Dislikes:  AP exams

 

barrett: 155 months old

 

Barrett had a fun Easter!  Sometimes I think my kids are getting too old to enjoy an Easter basket, but when they asked if we were doing them this year, and an egg hunt, I knew we had to keep it going.  The Easter bunny delivered the usual favorites (Cadbury creme eggs, mini eggs, Twix) and a Monster drink!  We moved the egg hunt indoors because it's always a race against the ants.  The Easter bunny even included some dollar bills in the eggs to make the hunt that much more competitive! 

Barrett also had an art show, which was awesome!  He and some friends worked on a ship in the water, and Barrett was in charge of blending the water.  He did a great job!  He also got his braces removed.  He had braces twice, and is now free of them, and is getting retainers tomorrow.

Likes: Memaw's Easter bunny cake, getting rid of his braces

Dislikes: STAAR testing coming up

200 months old

Easter came super late this year, a whole 3 weeks after spring break!  We went to London and Paris for spring break and had the best time ever.  We've been to London before, but it was right before a cruise and rushed, so this time we got to stroll around and see what we missed before.  We even got to go see Matilda at its original theatre!  In Paris, we did the Louvre and Eiffel Tower, because of course, and then went to Disneyland Paris.  It's not my favorite of the Disney parks, but was a cool experience to see their castle and their versions of my favorite rides.  Britton was exhausted by the time we left to head home, and was glad to see her own bed!

Likes:  when softball practice ends early

Dislikes: the blister on her toe

 

barrett: 154 months old

 

While it feels like we've got all the time in the world, in fact Barrett's 13th! birthday is fast approaching in May and I'm not ready!  First off, I can't believe I'm about to have 2 teenagers.  Second, he wants a party that isn't a pool party at the house, so that involves planning and calling and scheduling and sending out invites, and he's now past the point of "party themes" so I'm trying to figure out decorations and a cake without a theme guiding me.

Barrett had his 7th grade art show tonight!  He made a model of a ship with a group, and was in charge of blending the paint for the waves.  He did a great job!  He's decided to take Art 3 next year, which is a high school fine art credit.

Likes: plain white tee shirts, that we planned ahead and bought 2 pairs of glasses (he broke his in Paris)

Dislikes: taking Poppy on walks - she doesn't listen!

199 months old

 

I promise I will catch up!  March has flown by, and while I got pictures late, I've also been quite lazy about getting them into a post.  That's on me!  We are firmly in the middle of the second half of Britton's junior year, and I just know that I should enjoy this time, as senior year, by all accounts, is a logistical nightmare of college deadlines and choices, harder classes, and transition overall.  But we're not there yet!  

Britton's softball season is officially halfway through, and she will finish up in April.  We have NCL's Senior Recognition this weekend, which we've never attended in our 5 years of NCL so far.  Because we're the junior class we help out, but we'll also get to enjoy the gala.  As class president, Britton is doing the invocation, which of course she has no worries about, because she doesn't fear public speaking like her mother!

Likes:  softball, feeding Ginger the stray cat, hanging out with her friends

Dislikes: weird tan lines from softball, AP Biology

barrett: 153 months old

 

Almost a month late posting??  Yes, February was brutal.  How can it be the hardest and shortest month of the year?  We're off the high and bustle of the holidays, but just a month away from spring break.  And everyone in this house needs the break.  We lost my mom on February 17th - "Cammy" as she was known to her grandkids.  We all went to her service and I did the eulogy, and Barrett looked so handsome in a tie.